March 1463
"Well, Fari," Eomer said, straightening Fari's collar, "say good-bye to bachelorhood."
"Don't you think he did that a few months ago?" Theo held up Fari's jacket. "Considering he's got a baby on the way?"
"Actually, it was when she kissed me that first time," Fari said, slipping into his jacket. "I knew I was done being a bachelor then." He pushed Eomer's hands away. He could do his own buttons!
"Why aren't you nervous?" Theo asked. "We were nervous."
Fari shrugged. "Don't know what there is to be nervous about. I've been looking forward to this for a while. I've missed her."
Eomer snorted. "She's been living here with you! Just down the hall."
"Yes, but she promised her mum and dad we wouldn't do anything." Fari straightened his jacket. "That's probably why I'm not nervous. I know what I've got to look forward to." He wagged his eyebrows at his cousins.
"Not listening," Frodo said, covering his ears.
Fari smiled weakly. "Sorry, Frodo."
Frodo got up to answer the knock on the door. Fari's father and Merry came in. "How are you doing?" his dad asked.
Fari shrugged. "Fine."
"Really?" asked Merry.
Fari rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm not nervous." He held out his hands. They had a slight shake. All right, so maybe he was just a little bit nervous.
"Ivy said they're about ready, so..." Merry gestured towards the door.
Fari nodded. He was ready. They filed out into the hallway and Frodo ran ahead to tell everyone waiting in the garden that they were coming.
"I'm not nervous at all," Pippin gloated as they made their way through the hall, "considering it's my first child getting married. Not like you, Merry. You were a bit of a wreck when Ivy married me."
"Just wait until you have a daughter get married," Merry chuckled, wagging a finger at him.
Pippin shrugged. "Well, at least I won't have to worry about that for a very long time. Willow's too young to be interested in lads that way."
Fari leaned towards Theo and Eomer. "Unless the lad is Bilbo Gamgee," he snickered. He'd seen the looks the two shared whenever the Gamgees came to visit Goldi. He hoped it worked out for them. Bilbo would be a good lad for his sister.
His father stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Fari, horror on his face. "What?"
"Ha!" Merry exclaimed, grabbing his cousin's arm. "Now you know how I felt!"
"But, Merry! Willow's too young for that! She's just turned twenty-three! And Bilbo's nearly twenty-seven! And...um...right."
Fari watched his father give Merry an apologetic smile, then they continued their walk to the garden.
The garden was full of people--probably everyone in the Shire had come to see the future Thain get married. They made their way to the arbor Frodo and Sam had set up for the ceremony. Fari looked out at the sea of faces--family and friends and some hobbits he didn't even know. Probably the whole Shire had turned up to see the future Thain get married. He fidgeted, his nerves starting to kick in.
His dad rested a hand on his shoulder. "You'll do fine," he whispered.
Fari touched his dad's hand. "I know, Dad. Thanks." Then his father nodded towards the crowd and Fari saw Goldi approaching with Ivy and Rosie. She took Fari's breath away. Her long blond hair was done up with blue flowers and she wore a dress that was loose and flowing--an Elvish style that Ivy had come up with to accommodate her expanding girth. She held a bouquet of her father's flowers--more blues, with a few pinks mixed in, resting lightly on her round belly. She smiled at him as they approached the arbor and Fari didn't think his life could get any happier.
-o-O-o-
They arrived at the small cottage, just south of the Smials, that would be their home for the week of their honeymoon. Fari helped Goldi down from the cart and gave her a gentle kiss. "You go on in," he said. "I need to take care of the pony."
Goldi nodded and turned to waddle up the path. Fari sighed. She looked tired. He wished they would have left sooner, because the party seemed to have wore her out.
Once the pony and cart were taken care of, he went into the small house. It was a summer cottage used by the Took family, but much smaller than Crickhollow. The front door opened right into the sitting room. Fari smiled at the flowers that decorated the room. A March wedding made flowers difficult to find, but Sam's gardens had given them plenty of daffodils, primroses and bluebells to decorate the little room.
He went into the bedroom and found Goldi lying on her side on the bed, fast asleep. He took off his jacket, and draped it over a chair, then went over to his wife. One hand pillowed her cheek and the other was resting over her belly. He reached out to pluck the flowers from her hair and she startled awake.
Fari knelt next to the bed and kissed her gently. "Go back to sleep," he said, and pulled another flower from her hair. "I was just getting rid of your foliage."
"Oh." She pushed herself upright with some effort and ran her fingers through her hair, combing out the rest flowers. "I fell asleep. Sorry."
Fari shook his head and pulled the last flower from her hair. "You're tired. Get some sleep."
She heaved a sigh. "But it's our wedding night. And I know you've been wanting to--"
He stopped her with a kiss, then pulled back to look in her eyes. "I can wait." He smiled and patted her stomach. "And I think it's safe to say we've already consummated the marriage."
She nodded and held out her hands to him. "Help me up? I at least want to get out of my dress."
He pulled her to her feet and helped her slip out of the dress. Fari let his gaze travel over her body, over her full breasts and swollen belly. It had been a long time since he'd last seen her naked and he thought her pregnancy made her even more lovely. "You're so beautiful," he murmured into her ear. Then he took her hands and pulled her back over to the bed. "Now in to bed with you."
He got her tucked in and then set to work getting undressed himself. She was watching him, a bit sleepily, a smile on her face. He tossed his clothes onto the chair and climbed in next to her, spooning up behind her, his arm going around her to caress her stomach. He felt a kick under his hand.
"Oh, he's awake!" Goldi groaned.
Fari chuckled and sat up. He leaned over to press his cheek against the side of her belly. "You need to settle down, love," he said. "Your mum's had a long day." He kissed the spot where he had felt the kick and lay back down next to Goldi.
She leaned back into him, then flinched at another kick. "He's not listening to you," she said.
Fari shrugged. "Sorry. I tried."
She took his hand and squeezed it. "I love you. Sorry I'm not up to anything tonight."
He sighed into her hair. "I'm fine, Goldi."
She snorted. "You're poking me in the back. You're not fine."
"You can make it up to me later." He snuggled closer to her and rested his cheek against her ear. "I'm just glad I can hold you like this again." He sighed, contented, and his eyes drifted shut as the busy day caught up with him as well. "And I love you, too."
Author's Notes:
I've had some Real Life stuff come up this week, so I'm going to try to get all of the remaining chapters posted on Wednesday night (last two chapters and the Epilogue).
